“What?” she and Chris demanded at the same time.
“We can all beat and tear at this door all night, but we wouldn’t get in. They’ve planned and fortified against vampires. Besides, we’d only be able to have three or four of us pushing against the door at once. Due to the fact they’ve surrounded themselves with mines, I’m sure they’re fortified against explosives too, so trying to blow the door open would probably be a waste.”
“True,” Quinn said slowly, her eyes distrustful as she watched him.
“But they never planned for one vamp and an Elder to be stronger than they ever anticipated,” he said. “We’ll take volunteers. You’ll pull from them and flood their life into me, fueling my strength.”
The color drained from her face as she stopped walking. “I’ve never done anything like that before. I’m not sure I can control it.”
“You can.”
“I’ve been injured—”
“That’s an understatement,” Chris muttered, earning scathing looks from Quinn and him. Chris shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. “Well, it is. You were nearly a dead vamp. For a second there, I actually believed you were dead when I saw the stake go in. Then those guys just became dust in the wind.”
“I scare you now,” Quinn said, and the crestfallen look on her face had Julian fighting the impulse to punch Chris in the face.
“No,” Chris said, resting his hand on her shoulder. “Okay, maybe a little, but it’s not that I believe you’ll hurt me, or any of us. I wouldn’t be touching you if I thought that. It’s more that there is a lot of power in you, and I’m not sure we know all you’re capable of. We may never know, which is fine, but it’s still pretty freaking weird.”
Quinn’s shoulders relaxed beneath his touch. “Yeah.”
“So, if she’s going to fuel you to get in there, what about Luther and the others?” Chris asked Julian. “They probably won’t be able to get in.”
“They don’t have to get in,” Julian replied. “As long as they’re causing chaos on the other side, then that should be enough to keep The Commission distracted at least a little.”
“I’m really not sure about this,” Quinn said. “I’m still not completely healed from my injuries and my ability is harder to control when I’m hurt. I could kill someone. I could kill you.”
“That will never happen,” he replied.
She planted her hands on her hips. “You’re not invincible, and you’re not Superman.”
“Superman has nothing on me.” He ran a finger over the tip of her nose in the hopes of coaxing a smile from her; her scowl only deepened.
“You’re not cute.”
“Now we both know that is a lie.”
Her eyes narrowed, but he saw the telltale upward twitch of her lips. “Julian—”
“Listen to me. This will work, and I have complete faith in you. You’ve taken from me and others plenty of times, and you’ve given it back without killing us.”
“You could bust down the door and something could happen to break my concentration and the flow. What then?”
“We could all die tonight. Life is a crapshoot. We’re going to have to roll with this one, and I’m betting on you.”
“That was the corniest line you’ve ever uttered,” she muttered.
“Some of my lines landed you.”
“Believe me, it wasn’t the lines.”
“I always knew you couldn’t resist my extremely good looks.”
“I’m not normally attracted to arrogant, hotheaded blonds with a Superman complex.”
“Not Superman, God complex.”
“You’re an ass.”
“That too.” Resting his hands on her hips, he gave them a playful wiggle. “It may have been corny, but I meant what I said. I believe in you. I know you can do this.”
Groaning, she stepped away from him.
“I don’t like to admit it, and fortunately it’s not often that I have to, but he’s right. You can do this,” Chris said to her.
“See,” Julian said. “I’m right.”
“I doubt you’ll get many volunteers for this,” Quinn replied. “They all saw what I did to those two men.”
“You’ve got me,” Chris said.
“You said never again after I took from you when we first met with the vamps in Arizona,” Quinn reminded him.
“I was wrong. It happens once in a while.”
“Chris—”
“It’s fine.”
Julian rested his hand on her arm. “I meant what I said. I have complete faith in you, but I won’t push you into this if you truly feel you can’t handle it. We will find another way in.”
Quinn glanced between him and all the others gathered around them. Many of them were watching her, though they were far enough away that they most likely hadn’t heard their conversation.
“Some of them died on those mines,” Quinn whispered. “All of them are scared, but they’re all still here, willing to fight and willing to work together because they believe we can make it better.”